Sucker rod



July 7, 1936. R. P. SIMMONS SUCKER ROD 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10 INVENTOR fiz'rfiam Fi m/10m ATTORNEYS July 7, 1936. R. P. SIMMONS 2,046,348

SUCKER ROD Filed June 10, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR gtilardf iilllnam ATTORNEYS R. P. SIMMONS SUCKER ROD July 7, 1936.

Filed June 10, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS Patented July 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a sucker rod construction of such form that the rod proper will be kept out of lateral contact with the walls of a well casing particularly where the casing diverges from the vertical, as is so often the case, and thus be relieved of the wear to which it would be subjected in being reciprocated when in such lateral contact; to provide-a sucker rod made up of a plurality of coupled sections of such form that the rod may follow the contour of a crooked well casing without being subjected to any bending strain; to provide a sucker rod composed of coupled sections in which the sections are permitted relative angular or turning movement on their own axes to avoid the torsional strain to which the rod would be subjected in following a well casing of the general form of a corkscrew which is frequently the condition of the casing in some wells; to provide a sectional sucker rod in which the sections may be added with facility as the rod is lowered into the working area of the well; and generally to provide a sucker rod which is etfective in overcoming all of the dimculties inherent in their use and which at the same time is of simple form and susceptible of comparatively cheap manufacture.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts. of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a characteristic well casing, the invention being shown in operative position therein.

Figure 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of one of the coupling members between adjacent sections.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a collective perspective view of one of the joints comprised in the coupling.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a modified form of well casing bearing or contacting member.

Figure 7 'is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line l! of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the torsional joints comprised in the coupling.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 99 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a transverse sectional view of a modified form of torsional joint adapted to be rendered rigid to prevent the twisting or turning function.

Figure 11 is a sectional view on the plane indi' i cated by the line H-ll of Figure 10. Verticality in an oil well is practically impossible, the well when being driven not only diverg-' I ing from the vertical but following a more or 5 less circular downward path, as indicated at 20 in Figure 1 of the drawings, if it does not, as is frequently the case, follow more or less a spiral or corkscrew path. The invention herein shown and described is designed to effectively meet all 10 of these conditions in oil well formation, providing for keeping the sucker rod out of contact with the side walls of the well casing where it has such a formation as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, permitting the rod to bend at 15 at 23 for the reception of ring nuts 24. Extend- 25 ing from the heads 22 but in axial alignment with the rod are the coupling stems 26 which are peripherally grooved to provide a series of spaced circular shoulders 21.

Interposed between the rod sections 2| are couplings each of which comprises an openended hollow wear cylinder 28 within which is disposed a plate 29, the plate having semi-circular ends as indicated at 30 but being parallel-edged and of a width corresponding to the interior diameter of the cylinder 28, so that it diametrically spans the cylinder to which it is secured by dowel 7 pins 3|.

Adjacent the extremities and concentric with the rounded or semi-circular ends 30, the plates are formed with eyes 32 which constitute the means for effecting a pivotal connection between these plates and complemental coupling plates 33 and 34, both these latter having circular body portions and the former being formed with a lateral centrally disposed cylindrical boss 35 which extends through the eye 32 and the latter being formed with a laterally extending stud 3B which extends through the bore of the boss. disposed on opposite sides of the plate 29 and are capable of angular movement with respect to said plate 29, this angular movement being limited by a lug 31 formed on the plate 33 and The coupling plates are thus projecting through an arcuate slot 38 in the 66 plate 29 to abut the adjacent face of the plate 34. The plate 33 is provided with an arcuate rib 39 conforming to the rounded or circular end 30 of the plate 29 and sliding on this rounded end in any angular movement of the plates 34 and 35 with respect to the plate 29. The plates 34 and 35 at each end of the coupling are united with a head 40 of the same general form as the head 20 with the exception that it is not exteriorly threaded, this head having a shank portion reduced in thickness to the thickness of the plate 29, so that the plates 33 and 34 may be disposed on opposite sides of this shank portion to which the plates are rigidly securedas by rivets 4| which pass through the plates and through the shank.

The head 40 is formed with a coupling stem 42 peripherally grooved as is the stem 26, so that it may have circular shoulders 43 of the same form and size as the shoulders 21. The stems 42 of the couplings, therefore, may be united with the rod sections 2| and semi-cylindrical coupling members 44 are provided to effect this connection, these coupling members together having a circular bore throughout their length undercut at the proper points to provide seats for the circular shoulders 43 and 21. The pairs of coupling members 44 are retained in embracing relation with the coupling stems by means of a retaining sleeve 45 bored to correspond to the external diameter of the coupling members and resting at one end upon the head 40, in which position it is retained by the ring nut 25 engaged with the externally threaded head 22 of the rod section. The over-all diameter of the threaded portion of the head 22 is less by a minute fraction than the interior diameter of the sleeve 45, so that in the coupling operation, the ring nut may be slipped over the rod by first threading it on the head portion and backing it off of the rod end of the latter, when the sleeve 45 may be slipped upon the rod and the coupling stems 42 and 26 placed in their proper relation, and the coupling members 44 engaged with them, after which the sleeve may be slipped back over the coupling members and the ring nut then engaged with the head 22 to retain the sleeve in place.

A taper pin 45 passing through the ring nut and diametrically through the head 22 serves as a positive means to prevent recession of the ring nut when set to secure the retaining sleeve 45 in place, it being necessary that the ring nut be close enough to the sleeve to practically preclude any axial movement of the latter but not to prevent angular or turning movement, as the function of the peculiar formation of the coupling means between the couplings and the rod sections is to provide relative angular or tuming movement on their own axes.

When the rod is lowered into a well for operation, the sections and couplings are assembled by the proper relative arrangement of the coupling stems and coupling members and their securement in assembled relation as above described. The character of the well bore will determine the number of couplings which had best be used, it being obvious that where the well follows a pronounced curvature, couplings embodying the wear cylinder 28, should be inserted every few sections apart if not between every pair of adjacent sections. These wear cylinders, approximating the diameter of the well casing, as they do, will then take all of the lateral bearing contact of the su er rod and will keep the sucker rod sections themselves out of contact with the well casing, so that they will not be subject to undue wear that would result from the friction that would otherwise be imposed, were the wear cylinders or their equivalent not provided. The couplings embodying the wear cylinders, also provide for the sucker rod as a whole assuming the general conformation of the well casing without imposing any bending strain on the rod sections, since they may swing to conform with the curve of the casing by reason of the swinging or pivotal connections provided between the coupling plates 34 and 35 and the plate 29. If the well has assumed a spiral formation in being driven, the sucker rod in following such a sinuous path as the casing would then provide would be subjected to torsional or twisting strain, but the improved construction meets this contingency, for it provides that the rod sections may turn relative to each other on their own axes. This by reason of the coupling stems 42 and 26 and theirassociated coupling elements. In a well of corkscrew shape, therefore, while relative turning movement of the rod sections is provided for, there is no chance of such movement uncoupling the sections, since the construction provides for turning movement in either direction without any tendency to separate the parts of the coupling. The formation of the circular shoulders on the coupling stems provides for adequate resistance to all practical compressive and tensile strains to which the rod as a whole might be subject in operation. The coupling members embodying the wear cylinders, by having the double or pivotal swinging joints in them, provide for relative lateral movement of adjacent sections to an angular position twice that to which either of the pivotal mountings is subjected, so that the general bend imposed on the rod as a whole in operation is accomplished with a minimum amount of wear on the pivot joints of the coupling members.

Where the character of the well in which the rod is used is such that the rod will not be required to follow a sinuous path in the well tubing, the pivotal joints in the couplings may be rendered inert by the use of bolts 41 which are passed through the holes 48, 49 and 50 in the coupling plates 33 and 34 and the plate 29. The coupling thus becomes rigid, so far as any pivotal or swinging movement is concerned.

If the conditions in the well are such that the pivotal couplings are not necessary, a wear member such as that shown in Figures 6 and '1 may be employed, this member consisting of an openended wear cylinder 5| supported on radially extending webs 52 emanating: from a central stem 53 terminating in heads 54 with which coupling stems, similar or equivalent to the stems 42, are incorporated. In operation, the wear member of Figures 6 and 7 will function the same as the coupling embodying the plates 33, 34 and 29, with the exception that it will not provide for relative swinging movement of connected sections.

Where relative turning movement of connected rod sections on their own axes is not necessary, the torsion joint may be rendered inactive, as illustrated in that form of. the invention shown in Figures 10 and 11 where in the coupling stems 55 have their circular shoulders slotted to provide seats for keys 55 which also engage in slots formed in the inner faces of the coupling members 51, the outer faces of which are likewise slotted to provide seats for keys 53 similarly seating in slots in the inner surface of the retaining sleeve 59. The torsion joint of Figures 10 and 11 is identical with that shown in Figures 8 and 9 with the exception of the formation of the slots in its several elements to provide selectively for the use of locking keys such as the keys 56 and 58. Where relative turning of adjacent sections on their own axes is desired, the keys are omitted; where it is not desired, the keys are inserted.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A sucker rod comprising a plurality of sections, couplings connecting the sections together and comprising pivotally connected elements secured to adjacent sections, torsion joints incorporated in the couplings at their points of connection with each section, and a wear cylinder in surrounding relation to each coupling at an intermediate point in its length.

2. A sucker rod comprising a plurality of sections, coupling members connecting the sections together and comprising a double pivotal joint of which the pivots have their axes parallel but spaced longitudinally of the rod, and a wear cylinder in surrounding relation to each coupling and extending from the plane of one pivot to the plane of the other.

3. A sucker rod comprising a plurality of sections, coupling members connecting the sections together and comprising a double pivotal joint of which the pivots have their axes parallel but spaced longitudinally of the rod, a wear cylinder in surrounding relation to each coupling and extending from the plane of one pivot to the plane of the other, and torsion joints interposed between the sections and the couplings to provide for free relative angular or turning movement of the couplings and sections on their own axes. 4

4. A sucker rod comprising a plurality of sections and couplings connecting the sections together, the couplings embodying means for relative angular movement laterally of adjacent sections, and means for free angular or turning movement of the adjacent sections on their own axes.

5. A sucker rod comprising a plurality of sections and couplings connecting adjacent sections, the couplings including double pivotal joints having their pivotal axes parallel but spaced longitudinally of the rod.

6. A sucker rod comprising a plurality of sections, coupling members connecting adjacent sections together and. incorporating each a double pivotal joint whose pivotal axes are parallel but spaced longitudinally of the rod, and Well casing contacting members arranged in surrounding relation to the coupling members.

7. A sucker rod comprising a plurality of sections, coupling members connecting adjacent sections, wear cylinders disposed in surrounding relation to the coupling members and carried thereby, and means incorporated in the coupling members at opposite ends of the wear cylinders to permit angular or turning movement of the latter on their own axes relative to connected sections.

8. A sucker rod comprising a plurality of connected sections, means interposed between adjacent sections to provide relative lateral angular movement of the same, wear cylinders disposed in surrounding relation to said means, and means to provide for angular or turning movement of said cylinders on their own axes relative to connected sections.

9. A flexible sucker rod having wear cylinders disposed in surrounding relation thereto and spaced in the direction of its length to maintain the rod out of contact with the walls of a sinuous wall casing, and means incorporated in the rod adjacent the wear cylinders to provide for angular or turning movement of the latter on their own axes relative to the rod.

RICHARD P. SIMIMONS. 

